Dance Curriculum Toolkit

Title of Resource: Get Down: Dance Off For A Difference

 

Target Audience: Anyone

 

Description of Resource: This Get Down: Dance Off For A Difference is in association with The Global Poverty Project, an organization striving to end poverty and provide children without access to school, the proper education that they deserve.  There are more than 57 million children in our world today who do not have access to primary education or proper education at any level.  This number is outrageous and needs to be reduced.  The only way that this number can be decreased is by supporting this cause.  

 

Appropriateness for High School Students: Supporting a good cause, in my opinion, does not have any age-limit on it.  I think that high school students should without a doubt get involved in supporting this cause, as they are old enough to understand what it means to have an education as well as the consequences of not have an education.  

 

Use of Resource in Classroom/Ways to Implement this Resource in my Classroom:  I personally feel very strongly about supporting good causes such as this one and therefore I would implement this into my classroom by making it an assignment for all of my students.  I would need to provide families with release forms before I upload any videos of my students onto the internet, however, assuming that majority of them would be given permission in support of such a cause, this would expose the students as well as all of there friends to a good cause and spread the word even further.  Students would be asked to choreograph a dance as a solo, duet, trio, or small group.  They would need to develop the choreography and after a few revisions, students will need to videotape themselves performing the dance.  If students would like to get really into and provide costumes, and or props, they absolutely can.  

 

Strengths of Resource as a Teaching Tool (Purpose, Value, Uniqueness, Positive Aspects):

As an educator, I feel very strongly about supporting organizations focused on proper education for all children around the world. I believe that children deserves to be provided with a proper education regardless of their economic/social status.  The purpose of this activity is to expose students to the reality that some children are not as fortunate as them and do not have the same opportunities for a variety of reasons.  It is important for students to know and understand that they can make a difference. That difference, although very generous, does not always have to be money.  There are other ways to affect change in the world and they should take those opportunities as often as possible.

 

Possible Modifications to Resource (Weaknesses, Limitations, Supplemental Resources):  Depending on how many families allow me to submit their student's choreography to help raise money for the cause, would effect the overall success of the project. My hope would be it I were to send out an informational letter explaining the project prior to sending home the consent for, families would be more inclined to allow their students to participate.

 

Resource Citation:

Get down: A virtual dance off benefitting the global poverty project. (2014). Retrieved from www.globalcitizen.org

 

Get down: Dance off for a difference. (2015). Retrieved from http://getdowndanceoff.tumblr.com/

 

Additional Resources:

The article cited below discusses the harsh reality of social class in our society today.  I think incorporating activities and/or questions that relate to the article prior to discussing the "Get Down: Dance off for a Difference", students will be more inclined to "buy into" the necessity and value in participating in an event such as "Get Down: Dance off for a Difference".